The San Mateo Puma (56M) – One Year Later

On May 18 2015, a young male puma wandered deep into San Mateo. He was caught by California Department of Fish and Wildlife wardens and transported back into nearby open space. We met the wardens near the release site to place a collar on him.

One year later, 56M is still roaming the scrubby hills of coastal San Mateo County. Most pumas occasionally come close to our human neighborhoods when they are traveling through or searching for food. In the year since 56M was removed from downtown San Mateo, he has also periodically been on the edges of developments; however, he has not returned deep into cities.

GPS locations of puma 56M, caught in downtown San Mateo in May 2015.

The Puma Tracker section of our website allows you to track 56M’s movements throughout his coastal territory.

Puma 56M was photographed by a trail camera on a hiking trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in 2015. (photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

Tracking the survival of young pumas, following the dispersal paths they take once they leave their mother, and observing where and how they establish their adult territories is a growing part of our research. We are now tracking several puma families, and – like 56M – we look forward to following their lives.